| Samsung E640 |
| General |
| Network | Gsm 900 / Gsm 1800 / Gsm 1900 |
| Announced | 2005, 1q |
| Status | Available |
| Size |
| Dimensions | 85.5 X 45.1 X 23.5 Mm |
| Weight | 90 G |
| Display |
| Type | Tft, 256k Colors |
| Size | 176 X 220 Pixels |
| | - Second External Oled Dispalay, 65k Colors (80 X 64 Pixels) |
| Ringtones |
| Type | Polyphonic (40 Channels), Mp3 |
| Customization | Download, |
| Vibration | Yes |
| Memory |
| Phonebook | Yes |
| Call Records | 20 Dialed, 20 Received, 20 Missed Calls |
| Card Slot | No |
| | - 32 Mb Shared Memory |
| Data |
| Gprs | Class 10 (4+1/3+2 Slots), 32 - 48 Kbps |
| Hscsd | No |
| Edge | No |
| 3g | No |
| Wlan | No |
| Bluetooth | Yes, V1.2 |
| Infrared Port | No |
| Usb | Yes |
| Features |
| Messaging | Sms, Mms, Email |
| Browser | Wap 2.0/xhtml |
| Games | Yes + Downloadable, |
| Colors | Silver |
| Camera | 1.3 Mp, 1280x1024 Pixels, Video(qcif ), Flash |
| | - Mp3/aac/aac+ Music Player
- Mpeg4 Video Recording & Playback
- Java Midp 2.0
- T9
- Organizer
- Syncml
- Vcalendar
- Vcard |
| Battery |
| | Standard Battery, Li-ion 820 Mah |
| Stand-by | - |
| Talk Time | - |
|
Samsung - E640Samsung SGH-E640
It's no surprise the SGH-E640 comes across as yet another run-of-the-mill Samsung mobile phone. After all, it offers the distinctive Samsung clamshell design as well as high-quality display and sound. And it shares many similar features with sister models such as the E530, E720, E730 and E760, from onboard megapixel camera and MP3 player to wireless Bluetooth support. Unfortunately, just like the rest, the E640 also suffers from the lack of a memory expansion slot.
Design
The E640 sports the trademark Samsung flip phone design, where the 1.3-megapixel camera, LED flash and OLED screen sit neatly on the front cover. The entire casing comes in a classic yet elegant silver that should go well with most users. Interestingly, even with a glossy surface finish, the Samsung clamshell is somewhat resistant to stains and scratches. Like the E730, the E640 also boasts a Silver Nano coating that is said to provide a layer of antibacterial protection against germs.
To maintain a streamline look-and-feel, the company has kept the design of the E640 as clutter-free as possible, with minimal buttons visible on the outside and all sockets (including the headset and charging connectors) neatly concealed with flushed plastic plugs. Adding to the smooth contours of the phone is the use of an internal antenna which ensures you don't have to worry about breaking any antenna when putting the phone in the pocket.
Inside, users will find the large buttons on the keypad well-spaced and slightly contoured to provide a comfortable press even for those with stubby fingers. There is a slight noticeable creak on the hinge when the handset is flipped open, particularly when the phone is pressed close to the ears while making voice calls.
As with many Samsung handsets, the battery on the E640 forms the back of the phone and therefore does away with the need for a battery cover. While some users may prefer a two-piece battery and cover system, the advantage of a battery-integrated cover often helps to minimize the weight and reduce the form factor of the handset. Not to mention that there are generally less creaks since it is just one component.
Overall, we found the ergonomic shape and compact size of the E640 handset a real pleasure to hold, whether it's for making calls or sending SMS. Just be careful not to let this stylish phone slip from your hands when you fish it out of your pants pocket or bag as its smooth surface can be a tad slippery at times.
Features
In addition to Bluetooth connectivity, the E640 comes with built-in triband (GSM 900/1800/1900) support. This means it can be used overseas in countries like the US which operates on the GSM 1900 network.
The phone comes with two screens. The internal display, a vivid 176 x 220-pixel TFT panel that supports up 262,144 (18-bit) colors, works great for viewing videos and photos. As with most Samsung phones, we found the internal screen brilliant and sharp with good horizontal and vertical viewing angles as well as an acceptable range of adjustable brightness settings.
The external screen is an 80 x 64-pixel 65K-color OLED that displays calling information, time, signal strength and battery status. For those who want to shoot self-portraits, the OLED screen serves as a viewfinder when the camera function is activated, so you can take pictures without having to flip open the phone. We found it useful that the OLED display could double as a mirror, too.
Samsung has more or less figured out what users want in a phone and created a user interface that is relatively simple to use and intuitive. First-timers should find it easy to access the various key functions without having to refer much to the user manual, while those familiar with Samsung mobiles should be able to master the handset features in a jiffy.
Don't expect to replace your dedicated digital camera with the E640, but the onboard megapixel camera does churn out reasonably sharp images up to SXGA resolution (1,280 x 1,024 pixels), albeit with noticeable noise and slight yellowish tint. We like that Samsung has made it so the shutter button has to be depressed momentarily before the camera is activated. This prevents accidental activation when the phone is placed in a pocket or bag.
Samsung's camera-phones have traditionally been known to offer a good range of shooting modes. The E640 is no exception as it comes with a 4x digital zoom, 15-frame multishot function, 3 x 3 mosaic shots as well as ISO settings and spot focusing. Also noteworthy are some "Photoshop" effects such as sepia, sketch, emboss and black-&-white that can be selected before taking the shot. You can also decorate your captured images with preinstalled frames to add a touch of creativity.
Our main gripe with the camera function is the slight lag during photo taking. We strongly recommend holding the terminal's position for at least 2 seconds after clicking the shutter button to get a good shot.
While the E640's built-in MP3 player produces crisp audio quality, it is nonetheless limited by the lack of a memory expansion slot. The onboard 32MB of storage is hardly enough to accommodate more than eight of your favorite MP3 tunes, and less if you want to make some video or voice recordings on the phone.
Performance
The E640 performed well for calls and reception. During tests, calls were loud and clear on both sides even without the Voice Clarity option activated. It worked well also in noisy environments such as while commuting on the train. Sound quality from the speakers was expectedly loud and sharp, for MP3 playback as well as ringtones. The 800mAh Li-ion battery lasted about two days under normal usage before requiring a recharge. |
| Common misspellings on this brand: samsuhg |
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